LYNN — They aren’t just collecting donations for fire victims; they’re packing them up in a rental and driving them to California themselves.
That’s right, Anthony “Skee” Johnson, Ed “Tray Cook” Wallace and Eddie “TS” Delvalle have been going door to door, event to event, and even doing collection drops to gather as much as they can for those affected by the series of wildfires that destroyed several California communities.
“Doing this over the last few weeks just goes to show the humility that is still here,” said Johnson. “A lot of people started to look at their own situations when this happened, and I think they gained a lot of perspective, like yeah, times may not be great for them right now, but at least they have a roof over their heads and can feed themselves and their kids.”
It all started when Delvalle, who currently resides in Rhode Island, heard that his friend started a foundation called Help Altadena as a way of extending support to families affected by the tragic fires. He watched as they extended a helping hand to their own neighbors on the West Coast, and he wondered what he could do to help from the East Coast.
“I asked him how I could help, and then we decided to start doing donation drops,” Delvalle said.
Once Lynn natives Johnson and Wallace heard about it from Delvalle, with whom they make music, they were all in and ready to help. Johnson, who has family in California, said he’s usually uncomfortable with being in the spotlight and putting himself out there, but in this situation, he knew it was something that he needed to do.
“This was just an opportunity where I said I can’t be afraid of my insecurities and be an introvert; I need to speak up to inspire and have an impact,” Johnson continued. “I don’t see a reason why we shouldn’t give back while we are here and physically able. You got to start somewhere.”
They were initially going to leave for California a week ago in a rental, but they have now extended it to Feb. 11 in the hopes of gathering even more donations. While there will not be any more drop-off dates, the gentlemen will still do personal pick-ups for people wishing to donate.
You can call or text Johnson directly for that at (781) 254-3472.
They kindly request donations of new clothing, hygiene essentials, footwear, blankets, baby clothing and products, baby food, bottled water and canned goods. And, if you happen to have anything around your home with the tags still on it, they will take those as well. Every small item can make a significant difference.
“It’s important to be a part of this because it’s for a great cause in general,” Wallace said. “Me and my brother Anthony have always been helpful to people in our community, so this was a no-brainer when we heard about the tragic events.”
